The U.S. transportation safety regulator has extended an emergency waiver on driving-time limits for truckers hauling heating fuels by a few days to January 15, aiming to speed up deliveries.

The extension, which came on Tuesday, was issued because severe winter storms, extreme cold, and a major power outage at a key gas refinery in Pennsylvania disrupted propane supplies, creating immediate risks to public health, safety, and welfare in the affected states.

U.S. rules typically require truck drivers to take mandated rest breaks and limit daily and weekly driving hours to reduce fatigue-related accidents. However, regulators can temporarily waive these limits during emergencies to expedite the delivery of essential supplies.

The extension follows an earlier emergency declaration, issued by the U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, relaxing mandated rest and driving-time limits for trucks transporting heating fuels such as propane, natural gas, and heating oil across parts of the U.S. Northeast until December 26.

Affected states and jurisdictions in this extension include Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, the FMCSA said.

(Reporting by Varun Sahay in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli)